I have been shopping for a mattress for a couple of weeks now and have narrowed down my choice to the Dreamstart Natural escape 13″ tight top, all natural latex Queen set. (http://tonfurniture.com/natural-escape-firm/)
I have read some good reviews about ton furniture (retailer) who deals with Dreamstar and visited their factory showroom to try a few of their mattresses out. I have a few questions if anyone has bought this mattress or dealt with the company.
On further enquiry about the layers, I was provided the following:
The mattress is 4" talalay latex (7zone) plus 8″ ultra high density firm soy bio foam core.
The biofoam core is apparently 1.9lb for the firm and the highest it can be made with is 2.2 lb (extra firm). Does anyone know if this is acceptable or if the density scale is different for this kind of foam as it seemed a little low
You can see my comments about Ton furniture in post #1 here. My conversations with them certainly indicate that they are knowledgeable about mattresses and materials.
In a base layer … 1.8 lb polyfoam is usually fine and would be the minimum density I would consider to be acceptable unless you were in a very low budget range. The density range of polyfoam is lower than the density range of either memory foam or latex. Density is not connected to firmness and any density polyfoam can be made in any firmness level. Density is the biggest factor in quality and durability. In other words 2.2 lb polyfoam would be more durable than 1.8 lb polyfoam but would typically be more costly as well.
The support layer of a mattress is not typically the weak link of a mattress though so I would consider 1.9 lb polyfoam to be perfectly acceptable. 2.2 lb would be good quality polyfoam (equivalent to what Tempurpedic uses in the base layers of their mattresses). If you are heavier or the top layers are thinner in the range of 2-3" or less (which would mean the base layer would be more subject to the mechanical forces of repeated compression) … then polyfoam density in the 2 lb range or higher would be better yet.
I would not put a lot of emphasis on warranties because the biggest issue in a mattress is foam softening and the loss of comfort and support which is not covered by warranties. In other words … warranties have little to do with how long a mattress will last for any particular person. Knowing that the materials in a mattress are high quality … particularly in the upper comfort layers which are the weak link of most mattresses … is a much more reliable indicator of the durability of a mattress than the warranty. You can read more about mattress warranties in post #174 here.
Thanks for the quick response and feedback Phoenix. I was a little confused as I was told that getting the 2.2Lb Polyfoam would make it firmer but I don’t think that should play a big role as it is in the support layer.
The firmness of the support layer can play a significant role in the feel and performance of a mattress. Density is something else completely though and is not related to the firmness/softness of polyfoam. Any density of polyfoam can have a wide range of firmness and softness levels.
From a quality and durability perspective higher density is “better”. Some higher density foams also have better performance (their other specs such as resilience and support factor are better). From a firmness/softness perspective though it’s important to make sure that all the layers of a mattress working together match your needs and preferences or what I call PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) because every layer and component in a mattress will interact with and affect every other layer and component in the mattress and the firmness of the support layers is an important part of the overall design.
Just wanted to provide an update. I did end up getting the Natural escape firm (with foam encasement) mattress from Ton Furniture.
The customer service was awesome and they did set me up with “Bunky boards” as even the low profile box was too high for my already high bed.
The mattress is extremely good and after sleeping on it for over a week I feel much more rested then with my previous bed. The one thing I have noticed is that the feel is quite cool and I don’t seem to sweat as much as I used to on this mattress. Hopefully everything holds up and I face no issues with the purchase.
It sounds to me like you made a good choice both in terms of quality and value and in terms of choosing a mattress that is suitable for your needs and preferences. I also appreciate the update so we can hear the outcome of your research.
It’s great when you end up buying a mattress that works well because then you can forget about mattresses completely for another decade or more and just focus on sleeping … which is a lot more satisfying than mattress shopping
Just curious about how/whether you are still liking your mattress. Hoping that you still occasionally visit this site, as I am considering getting some Dreamstar mattresses for guestrooms and main room. Given there is no trial period, I am trying to be as sure as possible before I pull the trigger and buy.
Hopefully eliminator23 subscribed to the topic so the forum software will notify them about your post and they can share their comments.
I would also keep in mind that while other people’s comments about the knowledge and service of a particular business can certainly be very helpful … I would be very cautious about about using other people’s experiences or reviews on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how you will feel on the same mattress or how suitable or how durable a mattress may be for you and in many if not most cases they can be more misleading than helpful because any mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person or even a larger group of people may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on (see post #13 here).
There is more information about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase to “fine tune” a mattress or the exchange/return options that are available to you).
The first “rule” of mattress shopping is to remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
Outside of PPP … the most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new).
While there is no way to quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when you will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for you (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you can find out the specifics of the materials and components inside it (see this article) and confirm that they meet the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.
If you can find out and list the thickness, type, and density of the layers and components in your mattress on the forum I’d be happy to make some comments about the quality and durability of the materials and the mattress “as a whole” and let you know if I can see any obvious weak links that could compromise the durability of the mattress you are considering.
Hello all. I realize this topic has been dormant for ages, and my posting here is a true shot in the dark. But I am days away from pulling the trigger on purchasing this same mattress model. On the off-chance any past customers are subscribed to or still checking the thread, I would be grateful for reviews of your shopping and sleeping experience. Especially from those who have been using the mattress for awhile. I realize your subjective take is just that, i.e. not a hard and fast guide for my own decision, but I value any and all feedback during this occasionally overwhelming process. Thank you.
Welcome to the TMU Forum ! Thanks for your question.
You are correct in that there are no recent conversations regarding Dreamstar Natural Escape; perhaps if you provide some specific questions for consumer subscribers, describe your preferences a little and a say bit about your current mattress situation, that would provide a better opportunity for response. How is your mattress research coming along? Would be interested to hear updates when you have time to check in.
